I know people often say that eyes are the windows to the soul but for me more often it’s in the hands. I remember studying how Barbra Streisand used to showcase her famous nails by purposefully posing her beautiful hands on her face or letting her hands linger in a close up shot. I crushed on President Clinton in large part because of his hands. To me he has ideal man hands and I really love the dichotomy of his elegant, yet aggressively masculine hand against that chunky low-tech black rubber watch he used to wear. Sometimes when I’m driving and I can see a particularly attractive man hand hanging out of the window in the car in front of me I can really milk a fantasy just off of that hand. But, it was my mom Alix who had the most beautiful hands ever – graceful, long slender fingers, always impeccably groomed.
Now you’ll understand why I find Jane Park so impressive – a Yale educated lawyer who took her marketing savvy as a former Starbucks executive and applied the concept of third place setting of a public living room to the nail salon to create Julep Nails. Jane thought about every detail from the mint infused water to the bespoke salon chairs that move so you can position them in groups and talk to your friends without awkwardly craning your neck while getting manis and pedis together.
Mommies are welcome to bring their babies and working ladies are welcome to bring their laptops and use the free wifi. You can watch reruns of SEX AND THE CITY, have a nosh and many other grooming options. June has a very evolved philosophy about managing a business – if it isn’t good for the employees, it won’t be good for the customer. In other words, a happy manicurist is a happy customer. It’s a brilliant trickle down philosophy that is certainly working as she’s opened up multiple salons in the northeast area. Oh how I wish Julep would move south and spread east in a sort of reverse manifest destiny!
Until then, I will make due with the ultra stylish selection of products. I have a very unladylike habit of picking my cuticles and Julep’s Essential Oil in a genius roll on dispenser has literally broken my habit. I now carry this beautifully fragranced oil in my bag, keep one by my bed, one in my desk and one by the TV. When I’m tempted to pick or I have dry skin, I just whip out this little roll on and spread the quick absorbing oil onto my cuticles and friends no longer need to swat my hands out of my mouth and tell me to “stop picking.”
Now let’s talk about the nail polish from the Fall Line. The color palette is one of the most sophisticated I’ve ever seen. I feel as if I’m looking at a fashion designer’s swatch board or a painter’s canvas. June has created a navy inky blue called “Michelle” that in addition to wearing on the tips of my toes and fingers I’d like to paint my walls this color and use a high gloss version to lacquer a table and use the color in a light weight cashmere to knit a sweater – I could keep going. It’s divine.
Then there is a chalk, dove grey called “Griege” that is so 10 steps beyond the pale pinks we’ve all come to love you must mark my words this is the future of pale colors. After investigating the colors I then learned they were all inspired by fashion designer’s fall lines like Stella the mustard yellow color found its genesis in Jimmy Choo’s Saba bag. Check out “Selena” a verdant moss green for that military chic look that is on every runway and in all magazines.
There are 12 gorgeous colors to check out at www.myjulep.com for $7.25 each or $24.50 for a set of four. Check out their other fabulous lotions and potions as well.
Like her salon, June’s products are natural and free of parabens, toluene, formaldehyde and DBP. 
xo Alison
